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Tactical analysis: Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0

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Premier League, October 14 2017

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Liverpool 0

Manchester United 0

Jurgen Klopp was left still awaiting his first Premier League victory over Manchester United, after this frustrating and ultimately goalless afternoon at Anfield. His Liverpool side dominated both play and possession for long periods, but couldn’t find a way past an inspired David de Gea, who pulled off one sensational save from Joel Matip among a host of others. Jose Mourinho’s men didn’t offer any consistent threat, with an otherwise quiet Romelu Lukaku having the visitors’ best chance just before half-time.

Starting line-ups

Shots / On target

Liverpool18/6

Manchester United6/1

Possession

Liverpool61%

Manchester United39%

Passes / Accurate

Liverpool644/577

Manchester United383/304

Fouls / Yellow / Red

Liverpool7 / 0 / 0

Manchester United13 / 2 / 0

Analysis: Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side began in a 4-3-3 formation, switching to a 4-1-4-1 in defence, with Philippe Coutinho and Mo Salah dropping into the midfield block and Jordan Henderson sitting in behind. If Manchester United tried to play out from the back, the hosts employed a hard press initiated by Roberto Firmino and looked to drive them out into wide areas. Once the ball went to the wings, Liverpool intensified their pressure and tried to win the ball back as soon as possible.

The Reds were solid in midfield and tried to generate a numerical advantage over both the player in possession and potential receivers of the ball. Their midfield trio of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Emre Can combined well to prevent possible passes through their defensive unit and always worked to ensure they had numbers around the man on the ball. Their defensive line showed mostly good concentration in front of goal, conscious of the threat of United’s attacking players – although they did allow the visitors to penetrate their last line late in the first half, when Romelu Lukaku could have opened the scoring.

In their defensive transition, Liverpool reacted quickly to get back in shape and press the man in possession. Henderson, the most defensive of the midfield three, was responsible for covering any gaps or imbalances as United looked to break.

In attack, Liverpool looked to build from the back, through goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and the two centre-backs, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren. The aim was to break through the first line of pressure as quickly as possible and overwhelm the visitors with numbers in midfield, with Coutinho in particular granted freedom to drop into intermediate areas and move across the front line – although a typically strong set-up from Jose Mourinho in these areas countered this effectively.

The hosts also looked to get Can and Wijnaldum making late runs into attacking areas from midfield. This was a particular tactic when they got the ball wide to full-backs Joe Gomez and Alberto Moreno, who could look for their breaks behind the last line of the United defence. It was from one such move that Can, from a Gomez cross, had a golden opportunity to put Liverpool ahead.

On the counter-attack, the Reds tried to use the pace and skill of their attackers to take advantage of momentary imbalances in the United defence and exploit the spaces in behind them. United gave away little in these areas, although Wijnaldum did have one chance from one typical Klopp counter.

In pictures

Liverpool began in a 4-3-3 formation, switching to a 4-1-4-1 in defence (here), with Jordan Henderson sitting behind the midfield four. If Manchester United tried to play out from the back, the hosts pressed hard and high, with Roberto Firmino leading the way.

The home side reacted swiftly in the defensive transition and were quick to press the man in possession. Henderson was key to this approach, always looking to cover any spaces in the home defence; here, he prevents Ashley Young from running into space down Liverpool’s left.

Despite starting on the left of the Liverpool front three, Philippe Coutinho was given freedom to move along the front line and occupy intermediate areas in behind the line of United pressure.

Ahead of Henderson, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum looked to make late runs from midfield and break in behind the last line of the United defence. Here, it is Can latching on to a cross from Joe Gomez for a clear chance to break the deadlock.

On the counter-attack, Liverpool looked to use the pace and skill of their attacking players to get forward as soon as possible and take advantage of any momentary imbalances in the United defence to get in behind them.

The visitors set up in a 4-2-3-1 in attack, but in defence often dropped back into a compact 5-3-2, with Antonio Valencia pushing inside and Ashley Young looking to neutralise the threat of Alberto Moreno down the United right.

The Manchester United midfielders were central to Jose Mourinho’s game plan. Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera in particular were tasked with pressing their opponents and trying to prevent the Liverpool playmakers from passing through their defensive unit.

David de Gea was again crucial to his team emerging from the game with a point. Two particularly special stops by the Spanish goalkeeper stood out, including this save from Joel Matip on 34 minutes.

When they did enjoy possession in the right areas, United were not short of pace and looked to use it to get in behind the Liverpool defence. Here, Herrera looks for the run of Young in behind Moreno.

The United front line of Romelu Lukaku, Young, Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan worked hard to attack spaces in and around the Liverpool penalty area. They did carry a threat, particularly when finding passing angles through the last line in the hosts’ defence – as with this great chance for Lukaku on 43 minutes.

Analysis: Manchester United

Jose Mourinho set his team up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He switched to 4-4-2 or sometimes a 5-3-2 in defence, where Ashley Young would drop into the back line and help close space in the central areas from which Liverpool can be so dangerous.

If Liverpool tried to play out from the back, United tried to press hard and prompt mistakes – but Romelu Lukaku, who led the press, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan often left holes as the game progressed. Despite this, Mourinho had his midfield well set up to put pressure on their opposite numbers when Liverpool had possession. Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera in particular proved effective in this area, working hard to prevent the home side passing through their defensive shape.

In front of their own goal, they deployed rearguard action as a priority and were happy to drop deep if necessary. They tried to minimise the space in between the lines, but when Liverpool did create chances they found David de Gea in excellent form – two superb saves, in particular one from Joel Matip, helped his team to come away with a point.

In attack, United targeted their attackers in the opposition half and looked for Lukaku to hold up play for his teammates. Once they had got the ball into the right areas, they were not short of pace and looked for Ashley Young and Anthony Martial – later Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard – to make runs in behind the Liverpool defence. Liverpool defended well in the most part, but United always carried a threat from passes in behind and Lukaku could have put them ahead when combining with Martial late in the first half.

Key points

Liverpool played it safe in their defensive transitions, making sure to get back into their shape and giving Jordan Henderson responsibility for covering any gaps that Manchester United might find on the counter-attack.

Philippe Coutinho started on the left side of Liverpool’s front three, but was given freedom to play across the front line and drop into intermediate areas. With Henderson sitting, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum were free to supplement the attack with late runs from midfield when the hosts played it wide.

David de Gea was crucial to his team coming away from Anfield with a point. Two particularly special stops stood out, including one with his left foot from Joel Matip.

Jose Mourinho’s game plan rested on his central midfielders pressing their opponents and preventing them from playing through their defensive shape. Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera were crucial in these areas.

Mourinho also utilised a back five at times, dropping Ashley Young deeper from midfield and closing down spaces in central areas to stifle Liverpool’s potential threat in these areas.